


That time before Warped Tour

by Krash39



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Short One Shot, Van Days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 12:32:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18469045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krash39/pseuds/Krash39
Summary: "The band I see, at this point, as a hobby; which I don't think my bandmates know. I think they see it as a career, which I don't think will ever work."  - Rian Dawson on himself at 17.





	That time before Warped Tour

The Summer night hummed a white noise of muffled highway wind, mixed with crickets and cicadas. Rian rubbed his eyes blinking through the headlights of oncoming traffic. He stifled a yawn trying not to feel the several hours of constant driving.  
"You need a break?" Zack asked quietly, not looking up from the large folding map, in the passenger seat. "Nah, I'm good for a little bit longer." He replied taking a sip of the hours cold coffee from the the cup holder between them. He pulled a face and spit it back out. "On second thought, new coffee may be needed soon." Zack smiled.  
"They out?" Rian asked looking in the rear view. Zack looked to the back seat where Jack and Alex were sleeping slumped into each other's shoulders. Jack; mouth open, lightly snoring, in danger of drooling on Alex. He snapped a quick picture on his phone and then turned back. "Yea." He showed Rian the image. Rian dropped his head back and laughed. "Thaaat's going on myspace." They fell back into silence for a few more miles before passing a large sign that read "Welcome to Kansas."  
"There it is. First time in the mid-west solo." Zack noted watching it pass. Rian smiled, but quickly let it fade. Zack didn't miss the change. "What?" he asked looking back to the map. "This is, uh, it really is the furthest we've been on our own. Like no parents and." Rian trailed off. "You good?" Zack asked watching his expression become more panicked. "Just kinda, wow. Is this for real?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"This, all of this, is this for real? We're eighteen, is this. I dunno. Is this a mistake?" Rian started breathing faster.  
"Dude if you're gonna freak out, please pull over first." Zack prompted. Rian did, and shifted the van into park, without shutting it off. He scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed.  
"You think this is a mistake? Aren't you having fun?"  
"No." Rian groaned. "This is great, but, like, what if. I dunno, what if this all falls apart - what do we do? Some of us barely finished high school" he nodded towards the back seat "And we're not going to college, what happens if we don't make it? We're gonna be those old guys living in their parent's basements wearing trucker hats with beer guts working at 7-eleven forever with nacho cheese?!"  
Zack couldn't help but laugh. "Don't laugh, I'm serious. This is great but what if we end up broke and stranded, or worse what if we make it and go nuts and pull a Brittany? I don't wanna shave my head." "You shaved it last Summer, it looked fine." Zack derailed his rant. Rian rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat staring into the dark letting the silence stretch.  
"You want a sure thing. There's nothing wrong with that, we'd all love one. But that's not what this is. And it won't ever be. But I think we have a hell of a shot at this. I mean who gets signed while they're still in high school? And yea we're living out of a van now, but look at it this way, if we end up in our parent's basements, it's at least a step up from a van."  
Rian begrudgingly smiled. "You don't think this is completely insane?" He asked. "Oh no. It's totally insane." Zack smiled, "But it's a good insane, not to mention even if this doesn't last, dude adults go back to school all the time. If this really doesn't pan out we'll be fine, those two'll be screwed." Rian full on laughed "Can you imagine Jack in college? He'd be Will Farrell 'Old School' like no question." They both broke into laughter only stopping when someone stirred in the back seat.  
"Why'd we stop?" Alex's sleepy voice drifted up from the dark. "Changing drivers." Rian answered looking into the rear view again. "Oh, k." Alex muffled something else unintelligible while falling back to sleep.  
"Our fearless leader." Zack snorted a laugh before opening the passenger door. Rian hopped into the passenger seat and scooted down getting comfortable, resting his foot on the dashboard, while Zack adjusted his seat before pulling back onto the high way. "Still want to stop for coffee?" He asked settling in. "In a bit." Rian answered, his tone still pensive. Zack picked up the small IPOD and scrolled several times until he found what he was looking for. He turned the stereo on, quietly, just in time for the opening chords of "Baby One More Time." "I fucking hate you." Rian laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Small liberty on the time line in reference to Brittany Spears shaving her head, but hey, that's the fun of fiction, right? (Subtext: yea realized that at the end and was NOT rewriting the whole thing around it.)
> 
>  
> 
> Addendum: The titles have sort of become a thing so I changed this one and added the quote that originally got me thinking /writing this to begin with.


End file.
